Down by the Lake
by Spalding R. Willows
Summary: GC go out for dinner after work... will they finally take things to the next level? GC
1. Chapter 1

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Romance- PG

Summary: Grissom and Catherine have fun in a lake :-D

Feedback: PLEASE! You can say ANYTHING, good or bad, but I love feedback!

Disclaimer: Meh…. I don't own CSI…. grr…. maybe someday?

Dinner by the Lake

They had driven five and a half hours to the coast of California, only to turn around the same way they came with a handcuffed man in the backseat of the police car in front of them.

Catherine and Gil worked two days straight and many hours overtime on a case that killed twenty innocent women in a bombing. The killer tried to escape the LVPD by running to Los Angeles, but that still didn't stop them from tracking him down.

On the long drive home, Catherine almost instantly fell asleep, and Grissom couldn't help but watch her slender body rise and fall as she inhaled and exhaled. Her lightly-highlighted wavy blonde hair fell around her shoulders and enveloped her thin face in such a manner that any man would have a hard time keeping his eyes off her.

Outside, the sky was splashed with a deep shade of light purple and pink as the sunset. Within minutes though, the sun ha completely disappeared beneath the horizon and the only visible lights were those that came from the headlights of passing cars. As the white light of other vehicles sped by Grissom and Catherine's Tahoe, the flash of brightness crossed across her, illuminating her face in a milky-white glow.

He tried to force himself to turn away from her and look at the road, but he was of no avail. His foot rested on the gas pedal for several yards as he watched her, when he suddenly drifted off the road and into the grass. The sudden bounce the car made as he drove over a rock jolted her out of her sleep as well as bringing him out of his daydream.

"What was that?" she mumbled, wiping her eyes wearily.

"Just something in the middle of the road Cath… go back to sleep."

Her body turned over in her seat so her face was out the window, not facing him. For the rest of the drive his eyes only lingered over her several times, but he made sure that nothing would wake her.

The next day after shift

Catherine walked out of the courtroom and into the hot Las Vegas sun wearing a light blue shirt that matched her eyes and a short black skirt. Daintily, she seated herself on one of the marble steps, crossed her legs and waited for Grissom to join her. She checked her watch which read 7:10 PM and sighed realizing that she hadn't eaten in over nine hours. While she pondered where she should grab a bite to eat, Grissom silently approached her, watching the way the wind blew through her hair.

"You just gonna stand there Gil, or are we gonna go to dinner?" she asked, turning around and catching him staring at her.

"Yeah… where do you wanna go?" he replied, embarrassed that she had caught him.

"I dunno about you, but I'm starving, so whatever's closest sounds great to me," she smiled.

"I think I know a good place," he smiled back as she tossed him the keys and brushed of her skirt, following him to the car. He fiddled with the keys, unlocking her door first and escorting her inside.

"Thanks," she said, sliding into the seat. Then, he too sat down and started the car off towards one of his favorite restaurants.

"Look familiar?" he smiled, taking her hand and helping her out of the car.

"The only place in Las Vegas that serves calamari… brings back memories…"

"You remember working this case 5 years ago?"

"How could I forget… looks like you have something to go with your calamari this time," she smiled approaching the hostess. "2 please, non-smoking…" The young girl grabbed two menus and led the way to a small table by the window that had a great view of the lake.

"This is nice…" Catherine said opening her menu and scanning over the list of entrees.

"I thought you'd like it…"

"Isn't that amazing Gil?"

"What?"

She pointed out the window towards the lake where the full moon's glow cast a reflection in the calmly rippling water.

"Have you decided yet?" A short brunette woman named Wendy asked them, drawing their faces away from the window.

"Yes, I'd like the calamari," Gil replied, handing her his menu.

"I'm actually not that hungry… I'll just eat some of his…" Catherine sighed passing the waitress her menu.

"I thought you were 'starving'…" he smirked after the waitress left.

"Yeah I guess, but you know how it goes…"

"Um… I think you lost me Cath…"

"Well it's just that women never eat on dates…"

"Oh so now this is a date?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, uh… no…" she blushed, nervously laughing.

He just smiled as the waitress returned with their drinks and a platter of calamari with two plates. They ate in a comfortable silence, talking only about the case they had just won in court earlier that day.

As they walked back to the car, Catherine surprised him by taking off her heels, chucking them in the trunk and taking off in the dark. He followed her, and found her sitting by the edge of the lake under a tree.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"Ever since we came down here 5 years ago, I've wanted to go to this lake. It's so beautiful here," she leaned back to rest her head against the trunk of the tree and stared up at the starlit sky and the gleaming moon. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and took in the peaceful serenity of her surroundings.

Grissom worked up the courage to slip his arm around her shoulder, fearing that she would hate him for doing so. To his surprise, she sunk contentedly into his chest and watched the water flow around the rocks in the lake.

"I wish I could stay here forever…" she whispered, listening to the crickets sing their nightly melody in the darkness of the trees around them.

"Me too…" he said, gazing down at her.

She raised her head to meet his eyes and took his other hand in hers, entwining her fingers. Before either of them knew what was happening, their lips had touched rather awkwardly. It wasn't a matter of who kissed who, but rather the buzz the kiss seemed to create.

She smiled sweetly at him before unrepentantly taking off into the cool murky waters of the lake. He watched as she shivered in the seemingly black water, and silently laughed to himself. Rising to his feet, he walked in up to his ankles as she dove in, completely submerging herself.

"God this is freezing!" she squealed, resurfacing and wiping the water from her eyes.

He stood at the edge laughing at her, not wanting to get in, but knowing well enough that he was getting in one way or another.

"Oh shut up! At least I got in you wimp!" she smirked, but he just shrugged his shoulders. "Oh come on!" she whined.

She dove again, emerging only inches in front of him and pulled his hands, knocking him face first into the dark, cold water.

"Catherine!"

"Yes?"

"God I'm gonna get you for that!" She shrieked and tried to swim away from him, but he was too quick for her.

"What are you doing? Gil NO!" she shouted as he picked her up and tossed her into the water. "GIL GRISSOM!" she yelled, splashing him in the face. "God I hate you!"

"No you don't…" he smiled, pulling her to him.

"Oh I don't now do I?" she smiled as he wiped her long locks out of her face and tucked them behind hear ears.

He wrapped his other arm around her waist, closing off the gap between the two of them. He leaned in to kiss her, but instead of meeting her lips, he was splashed in the face by a spray of water. Her playful actions caught him off guard and she couldn't help but laugh at the bewildered look on his face.

"We even now?" she giggled as he wiped the water of his face.

"Well that depends…"

She raised an eyebrow at his statement, "On what?"

"Are you gonna be nice?" he asked.

"Hmm…" she sighed licking her lips, "we'll see…"

A/N: wahahaha a cliff hanger! Behold the all mighty cliff hanger! So… tune in tomorrow when I'll post the second chapter! Thanks everyone for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Hmm... we'll see..." She tried to swim away, but he came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Where are you going?" he whispered in her ear.

A smile broke out across her face as raindrops began to fall overhead and drizzle down on their cheeks.

"We should get out of here!" she shrieked as a bolt of lightening crackled above, its spidery fingers illuminating their faces for a brief second.

Gil reached for her hand, running as fast as the murky water would allow them too. The sky became increasingly darker as they ran up the slop of the grass hill to the Tahoe. When they at last reached the car, they were out of breath and the rain was nearly beating down on their faces. He held open the door for her, blue meeting blue as she slid into her seat. He stared over at her while he started the engine and put the car in reverse, as she shivered in her seat.

"Wwhy don't wwe go bback to my house and ddry off..." she stuttered, turning the air conditioning off and the heat on full blast.

"Shh..." Catherine whispered, turning her gold key in the lock to open it. Slowly, she opened the door as quietly as she could without waking her sleeping daughter, Lindsay, upstairs.

She walked into the kitchen as silently as her black two-inch heels would allow, dropping her purse on the green tile island in the center of the kitchen. "Um... do you, uh, want anything to drink?" she asked, opening the refrigerator and bending over to get a Diet Coke.

Across the room, Gil Grissom stood in the doorway, watching her like a zombie. "Gil?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Oh... I'll have whatever you're having..."

Fifteen minutes and two Diet Cokes later, Catherine and Grissom lay on the couch watching the news anchor talk about the case they had closed that day and revealed that the suspect in question had been proven guilty.

A smile crept across Catherine's thin lips as she rested with her head on Grissom's chest. She sighed happily, realizing that she had helped get a murderer off the streets.

"What's wrong?" he asked, staring down at the beautiful woman in his arms.

"Nothing... I'm happy... we did it Gil..."

"I know..." he said, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

They lay in silence, listening to the noisy clock ticking in the kitchen and the steady rhythm of each other's breathing.

"I'll be right back ok?" she said after what felt like an eternity, wriggling out of his grasp.

"Where are you going?" he questioned following her eagerly.

"Well... remember why we came back here in the first place?"

"Right..."

"You can get the shower first ok? I'll try to find something for you to wear..." While he ventured off down the hall, she turned the opposite direction into the guest bedroom where Grissom sometimes stayed when he needed her support, or rather when she needed him.

She opened the top drawer and pulled out a navy and white T-shirt from one of his entomology conventions and a pair of flannel pajama pants. She closed the door behind her and peered into the neighboring room. In the middle of a blue twin bed, Lindsay slept, her face turned towards the window.

"Goodnight Lindsay... I love you..." she whispered, watching her daughter's chest rise and fall. As she started to leave, she heard her whisper.

"Mom... who's that man?"

"Grissom's staying the night..." her young daughter nodded understandingly.

"Ok... well goodnight... tell Gris I said goodnight too..."

"Ok..."

"I love you mom..."

Catherine smiled, "sweet dreams."

"Hey," he murmured after she had closed the door.

"Hi..." she said, smiling at the towel wrapped around his waist and his lack of a shirt. "Here's you clothes..." she handed the pajamas to him still surprised that he wasn't wearing a shirt. 'Never seen him without one of those before..." she stared at the floor, shaking her head.

"Thanks..." he said, pulling the shirt on over his head.

'Damn,' she thought, 'he just HAD to do that!'

"Cath..."

"Yeah?"

"This shirt smells... feminine..."

"Sorry..." she said blushing, remembering that one night a few days ago when she couldn't sleep and woke up the next morning wearing his shirt.

He raised an eyebrow, "Do I wanna know why it smells like that?"

She smiled, kissing him lightly on the lips, "Oh will you just change already?"

"Go ahead and shower... I'll meet you downstairs..." he replied, kissing her forehead sweetly before disappearing into the guest bedroom.

Catherine crawled down the stairs smelling like a freshly baked vanilla cookie and looking absolutely gorgeous in a pair of red silk pajamas she had bought from Victoria's Secret a week ago. Quickly checking that she looked okay in the mirror, she walked into the living room, only to find Gil asleep on the couch. She giggled silently to herself and sat down across from him on the edge of the coffee table.

Too many thoughts filled her head about the man sleeping soundly before her. Where was this going? Was she really with Gil Grissom? What would happen in the future? Or even what would happen the next morning? What would Lindsay think about this? Did he really love her the way she loved him? She sighed, smoothing her hands over her flawless facial features.

His eyes flickered open, "What's up?"

"Nothing... I'm going to bed..."

She rose to her feet, but his hand around her waist wouldn't let her leave him. Their eyes locked for a moment, though anyone could tell you that their gaze was enough to send a thousand words to each other unspoken. He sat up, patting the seat cushion beside him.

Exhausted, she sunk into the couch, her head immediately resting against his shoulder. He laid back down, pulling her head down on top of his chest. She reached up and grabbed the beige blanket, spreading it down on top of them.

At that moment, Catherine Willows and Gil Grissom lay unaware of what the future could possibly hold for them. However, they knew one thing and that was all the reassurance they needed... They. Were. In. Love.


End file.
